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“Shooting Victoria” A Splendid Read

July 4, 2016

Simply a treasure trove of history presented with fine research and a narrative that is never slow. A sweeping epic of a read written by Paul Thomas Murphy, a Victorian scholar. Finished this book on the front lawn today while drinking chocolate raspberry coffee.

Shooting Victoria is historical narrative at its most thrilling, from the cloak and dagger nature of several of the assassination attempts, to Victoria’s brilliant responses to the attacks, alongside astute analysis of how these events actually revitalized the British monarchy at a time when monarchy was quickly becoming unpopular abroad. While thrones across Europe toppled, the Queen’s would-be assassins contributed greatly to the preservation of the crown and to the stability that it enjoys today. After all, according to Victoria herself, “It is worth being shot at―to see how much one is loved.”